Saints' Tate rediscovers the sunshine

Published: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 at 12:00 a.m.

__That's all Darrell Tate really said two years ago when he suddenly walked away from the Limestone College basketball team right before the start of his junior season.

Tate seemed to have it all. He was the local hero from Gaffney, on target to become Limestone's career scoring leader. A spot in the school's hall of fame was being reserved for him. Head coach Larry Epperly built the team around Tate, the newly named captain. Limestone was expected to compete for the Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference title.

And then Tate quit.

He was up and gone.

"I had personal problems within myself," Tate said. "I just got stressed out and couldn't handle it. I needed to get away. So I did."

Tate took classes at Spartanburg Tech while his former Limestone teammates overachieved without him to win half of their conference games. It may have taken a while, but Tate finally found himself. He came to the understanding that real pressure is out there in life. Basketball is supposed to be just for fun, and he wasn't having any.

Well, he is now.

Tate has returned to the Saints, having been welcomed back with open arms, and is once again among the league leaders in scoring (14.5 points per game), rebounding (7.9) and blocked shots (13).

And more importantly, he is happy in his own skin.

"When he came back, he seemed like he was relieved, like something had been lifted off him," said fifth-year senior Ben Touchberry. "He walked around with a care-free attitude. Nothing bothered him. He was a different person. He was around the guys, laughing and joking. There was a big difference in him."

Tate is an even better basketball player now than he was before, but he came off the bench Monday night and seemed to be comfortable with that. He'd rather let somebody else have the spotlight when the starting lineups are announced to the crowd.

"He doesn't think he's that good," Epperly said. "I'm serious. He thinks he is very average."

Tate entered the game quietly with 13 minutes left in the first half and when he sat back down barely two minutes later, had nine points and three offensive rebounds.

He finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in only 14 minutes as the Saints beat Lees-McRae, 102-88.

"I came back with a different focus," Tate said. "It was a real eye-opener. I learned a lot. I just had to be a man. I got myself together. I've been doing a lot of praying. I still get stressed, but I don't let that hold me down. I know that the sun is going to shine tomorrow."

Things wouldn't be quite so sunny at Limestone today if Epperly hadn't handled the situation so well two years ago by supporting Tate the person and not Tate the standout basketball player. Epperly never got angry or acted selfishly.

"Darrell is a good kid," he said. "I know his heart. I know his heart is right. I think at that particular time, it was just too much for him to handle. I kind of understood it. I hated it, but I kind of understood it. We felt his pain. We wanted to help him.

"Darrell appreciates the fact that he has a second chance. We all need second chances at some point."

In Tate's absence, his uniform number was given to the team mascot, a Saint Bernard. They'll share.

<p>It was just too much.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>__That's all Darrell Tate really said two years ago when he suddenly walked away from the Limestone College basketball team right before the start of his junior season.</p><p>Tate seemed to have it all. He was the local hero from Gaffney, on target to become Limestone's career scoring leader. A spot in the school's hall of fame was being reserved for him. Head coach Larry Epperly built the team around Tate, the newly named captain. Limestone was expected to compete for the Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference title.</p><p>And then Tate quit.</p><p>He was up and gone.</p><p>"I had personal problems within myself," Tate said. "I just got stressed out and couldn't handle it. I needed to get away. So I did."</p><p>Tate took classes at Spartanburg Tech while his former Limestone teammates overachieved without him to win half of their conference games. It may have taken a while, but Tate finally found himself. He came to the understanding that real pressure is out there in life. Basketball is supposed to be just for fun, and he wasn't having any.</p><p>Well, he is now.</p><p>Tate has returned to the Saints, having been welcomed back with open arms, and is once again among the league leaders in scoring (14.5 points per game), rebounding (7.9) and blocked shots (13).</p><p>And more importantly, he is happy in his own skin.</p><p>"When he came back, he seemed like he was relieved, like something had been lifted off him," said fifth-year senior Ben Touchberry. "He walked around with a care-free attitude. Nothing bothered him. He was a different person. He was around the guys, laughing and joking. There was a big difference in him."</p><p>Tate is an even better basketball player now than he was before, but he came off the bench Monday night and seemed to be comfortable with that. He'd rather let somebody else have the spotlight when the starting lineups are announced to the crowd.</p><p>"He doesn't think he's that good," Epperly said. "I'm serious. He thinks he is very average."</p><p>Tate entered the game quietly with 13 minutes left in the first half and when he sat back down barely two minutes later, had nine points and three offensive rebounds.</p><p>He finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in only 14 minutes as the Saints beat Lees-McRae, 102-88.</p><p>"I came back with a different focus," Tate said. "It was a real eye-opener. I learned a lot. I just had to be a man. I got myself together. I've been doing a lot of praying. I still get stressed, but I don't let that hold me down. I know that the sun is going to shine tomorrow."</p><p>Things wouldn't be quite so sunny at Limestone today if Epperly hadn't handled the situation so well two years ago by supporting Tate the person and not Tate the standout basketball player. Epperly never got angry or acted selfishly.</p><p>"Darrell is a good kid," he said. "I know his heart. I know his heart is right. I think at that particular time, it was just too much for him to handle. I kind of understood it. I hated it, but I kind of understood it. We felt his pain. We wanted to help him.</p><p>"Darrell appreciates the fact that he has a second chance. We all need second chances at some point."</p><p>In Tate's absence, his uniform number was given to the team mascot, a Saint Bernard. They'll share.</p><p>Tate doesn't mind if there is another No. 21 getting attention.</p><p>Todd Shanesy can be</p><p>reached at 562-7273 or at todd.shanesy@shj.com.</p>